SUNDERLAND'S hopes of hoisting themselves to the top of the table with a hat-trick of home victories were dashed when they went down to a slicker Spurs side in front of the television cameras at a rain-swept Stadium of Light.

The Londoners, two goals up, seemed to be coasting to victory but a late strike by England man Kevin Phillips - his fourth of the season - set up a grandstand finish as Sunderland fought desperately to retain their unbeaten home record.

But in a nail-biting final 15 minutes in which an appeal for handball was turned down and a goal-bound deflection was cleared off the line, Spurs weathered the storm, which made thrilling viewing for the armchair audience.

The Wearsiders had gifted Tottenham a goal when stand-in goalkeeper Jurgen Macho completely misjudged a speculative long-range shot from full back Christian Ziege midway through the first half and Sheringham made sure of victory with a classic header six minutes into the second period.

Sunderland began in explosive fashion and almost took the lead after only 40 seconds when Julio Arca smashed in a left-foot volley which goalkeeper Neil Sullivan pushed, one-handed, over the bar - a brilliant save.

A couple more bright moves by Sunderland broke down and when Spurs ventured forward Gus Poyet put a couple of long-range right-foot shots wide before centre back Ledley King, upfield for a corner, powered a header just over the bar in the eighth minute.

Sunderland appealed for a penalty in the 13th minute when Niall Quinn was sent sprawling, but referee Paul Durkin awarded a freekick right on the edge of the box and two fierce right-foot shots from Kevin Phillips came back off the wall in quick succession.

Swiss full back Bernt Haas was causing problems for the Spurs defence whenever he ventured forward and one of his centres from the right was just too strong for the marauding Phillips, who was looking very mobile.

Central defender George McCartney lost possession just outside the box and might have been severely punished for the error in the 22nd minute but Sheringham, after exchanging passes with Les Ferdinand, wanted too much time in front of goal.

Spurs, however, took the lead in the 26th minute through a terrible blunder by Macho. Full back Ziege hit a speculative right-foot shot from all of 35 yards which the Austrian thought was goiing wide of the post but, to his horror, the ball curled into the net.

The error stunned the home crowd and clearly Macho realised the enormity of his mistake, but Sunderland tried to hit back and a powerful right-foot shot from Gavin McCann had the sting taken out of it by a deflection before reaching Sullivan.

McCartney was looking very suspect in the heart of the home defence and Spurs should have increased their lead in the 38th minute when Ferdinand was put clear on the left by Sheringham, but he pulled his left-foot shot across the face of goal.

Sunderland broke forward and after Ziege was booked for a foul on Arca, a flick-on from Niall Quinn saw Phillips break to the right of goal in the 38th minute and his low, right-foot shot, from the narrowest of angles, struck Sullivan on the legs as he guarded the near post.

Spurs might easily have increased their lead in the second minute of the second half when a quick throw on the right saw Sheringham scuff his shot, but the ball fell to the unmarked Ferdinand, who also did not get proper contact and his shot bounced tamely to Macho.

The Londoners did go further ahead in the 51st when Davies scorched past Haas to centre perfectly from the left for Sheringham to head home from just outside the six-yard box.

The home fans were starting to voice their displeasure at another sub-standard performance and it was no surprise when Darren Williams replaced the hesitant McCartney in the 57th minute.

Kilbane's centre from the left was headed across by Quinn for Phillips to put an overhead kick narrowly wide, then McCann brought a goal-line save from Sullivan with a stinging 20-yarder.

But Sunderland's persistence paid off in the 78th minute when Phillips latched on to a back-header to smash home a first-time right foot shot.

In a thrilling finish Sunderland had a penalty appeal for handball turned down before central defender Perry cleared off his line

Read more about Sunderland here.